Download User Manual

Thank you for purchasing iSTAR.
Before starting the camera, we thoroughly recommend reading this Instruction Manual first so as to familiarise yourself with
all camera operations. To prevent accidents and damage, please also read the Safety Warnings and Handling Precautions.
To begin with take a few test photographs and check that the images are properly recording to the memory card. If the
camera or memory card is faulty and images cannot be recorded or read by a PC, NCTech cannot be held liable for any
loss or inconvenience caused.
The CE markings and the FCC Declaration of Conformity assures that this product complies with the requirements of the
EC directive for safety and is under limits approved by the Federal Communications Commission.
NCTECH LIMITED MAKES NO WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING ISTAR
360 DEGREE IMAGING DEVICE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL NCTECH LIMITED. BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR SPECIAL, COLLATERAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THE PURCHASE OR USE OF THE ISTAR
360 DEGREE IMAGING DEVICE.
THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE LIABILITY TO NCTECH LIMITED REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, SHALL NOT
EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE MATERIALS DESCRIBED HEREIN.
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE AND DOES NOT
REPRESENT A COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF NCTECH LIMITED.
ACCEPTANCE OF THIS DOCUMENT BY THE CUSTOMER CONSTITUTES ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT IF ANY
INCONSISTENCY EXISTS BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND NON-ENGLISH VERSIONS, THE ENGLISH VERSION
TAKES PRECEDENCE.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 2
Contents
SAFETY WARNINGS........................................................................................................................... 5 PREVENTING SERIOUS INJURY OR EQUIPMENT DAMAGE ....................................................................... 5 HANDLING PRECAUTIONS................................................................................................................ 6 ISTAR HANDLING CARE ...................................................................................................................... 6 LCD PANEL AND LCD MONITOR .......................................................................................................... 6 USB PORTS ........................................................................................................................................ 6 ISTAR OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................... 7 EQUIPMENT......................................................................................................................................... 7 Recommended optional equipment ............................................................................................... 7 iSTAR Dimensions and Weight ...................................................................................................... 7 Power ............................................................................................................................................. 7 NOMENCLATURE ............................................................................................................................... 8 GETTING STARTED ............................................................................................................................ 9 INSTALLING THE BATTERY .................................................................................................................... 9 CHARGING THE BATTERY ..................................................................................................................... 9 CHECKING THE BATTERY LEVEL ........................................................................................................... 9 TURNING ON THE CAMERA ................................................................................................................... 9 TURNING OFF THE CAMERA ................................................................................................................ 10 MAIN MENU ....................................................................................................................................... 10 IMAGE CAPTURE.............................................................................................................................. 11 CAPTURING AN IMAGE ....................................................................................................................... 11 Capture distance .......................................................................................................................... 11 Delay capture ............................................................................................................................... 11 Walk Around Mode ....................................................................................................................... 11 Capture Time ............................................................................................................................... 11 Live View Mode ............................................................................................................................ 12 IMAGE REVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 12 SETTINGS .......................................................................................................................................... 13 NETWORK SETTINGS ......................................................................................................................... 13 Ethernet IP Settings ..................................................................................................................... 13 WiFi Settings ................................................................................................................................ 13 WiFi IP Settings ............................................................................................................................ 13 CAPTURE SETTINGS .......................................................................................................................... 14 Capture settings: .......................................................................................................................... 14 Exposure: ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Countdown timer: ......................................................................................................................... 14 Capture size ................................................................................................................................. 14 Image settings .............................................................................................................................. 14 ISO ............................................................................................................................................... 14 Exposure ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Colour balance levels ................................................................................................................... 14 Storage settings ........................................................................................................................... 14 DISPLAY SETTINGS ............................................................................................................................ 15 Backlight timeout: ......................................................................................................................... 15 Power off: ..................................................................................................................................... 15 GENERAL SETTINGS .......................................................................................................................... 15 iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 3
GPS, Audio and Tilt compensation: ............................................................................................. 15 Format SD Card ........................................................................................................................... 15 TROUBLE SHOOTING ...................................................................................................................... 16 RESET BUTTON ................................................................................................................................. 16 SUPPORT PORTAL ............................................................................................................................. 16 iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 4
Safety Warnings
Preventing Serious Injury or Equipment Damage
Follow these safeguards and use the equipment properly to prevent injury, and material damage.
To prevent fire, excessive heat, chemical leakage, and explosions, follow the safeguards below:
-­‐
Do not connect any other device such as an external hard disk drive to the USB port of iSTAR. This may result in
excessive power draw from iSTAR and cause malfunction, the screen to ‘white out’ or damage to electronics. The
USB port should only be used with memory sticks and accessories approved by NCTech Ltd.
-
Do not use any batteries, power sources, and accessories that are not specified in this Manual. Do not use any
homemade or modified batteries.
-­‐
Do not short-circuit, disassemble, or modify the battery pack or back-up battery; do not apply heat or apply solder to
the battery pack or back-up battery; do not expose the battery pack or back-up battery to fire or water; and do not
subject the battery pack or back-up battery to strong physical shock
-­‐
When disposing of a battery pack or back-up battery, insulate the electrical contacts with tape to prevent contact with
other metallic objects or batteries. This is to prevent fire or an explosion.
-­‐
If excessive heat, smoke, or fumes are emitted during battery pack charging, immediately unplug the battery charger
from the power outlet to stop the charging and prevent a fire
-­‐
If the battery pack or back-up battery leaks, changes colour, deforms, or emits smoke or fumes, remove it
immediately. Be careful not to get burned in the process.
-­‐
Before storing the camera or accessory when not in use, remove the battery pack and disconnect the power plug.
This is to prevent electrical shock, heat generation, or fire.
-­‐
Do not use the equipment when there is a flammable gas nearby. This is to prevent an explosion or fire.
-­‐
If you drop the equipment and the casing breaks open to expose the internal parts, do not touch them due to the
possibility of electrical shock.
-­‐
Do not disassemble or modify the equipment. High-voltage internal parts can cause electrical shock.
-­‐
Before using the camera inside an airplane or hospital, check first that it is allowed. Electromagnetic waves emitted by
the camera may interfere with the plane’s instruments or the hospital’s medical equipment.
-­‐
-­‐
To prevent fire and electrical shock, follow the safeguards below:
- Always insert the power plug all the way in.
- Do not handle a power plug with wet hands.
- When unplugging a power plug, grasp and pull the plug instead of the cord.
- Do not scratch, cut, or excessively bend the cord or put a heavy object on the cord.
- Do not connect too many power plugs to the same power outlet.
- Do not use a cord whose insulation has been damaged.
-­‐
Do not cover or wrap iSTAR, nor the battery with a cloth. Doing so may trap heat within iSTAR (or the battery) and
cause the casing to deform or catch fire.
-­‐
Do not use or leave the battery pack or back-up battery in a hot environment. Doing so may cause battery leakage or
a shorter battery life. The battery pack or back-up battery can also become hot and cause skin burns.
If the product does not work properly or requires repair, contact your reseller.
-­‐
If the camera has not been used for an extended period, test all its functions first before taking photographs. If you
have not used the camera for a long period of time or if there is an important job on the horizon, in advance check the
camera and make sure it is working properly.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 5
Handling Precautions
iSTAR Handling Care
This imaging camera is a precision instrument. Do not drop it or subject it to physical shock.
Do not adjust or tamper with the camera lenses as this could result in damage and the lenses going
out of focus. Care should be taken not to touch the camera lenses with your fingers. The lenses can be
cleaned with the lens cloth provided.
-­‐
-­‐
-­‐
-­‐
-­‐
-­‐
-­‐
-­‐
iSTAR is not waterproof and cannot be used under water. If you accidentally drop the camera into water, promptly
consult your Reseller. Wipe off any water droplets with a dry cloth.
Never leave the camera near anything having a strong magnetic field such as a magnet or electric motor. Also avoid
using or leaving the camera near anything emitting strong radio waves such as a large antenna. Strong magnetic
fields can cause camera misoperation or destroy image data.
Do not expose the camera to excessive heat such as in a car in direct sunlight. High temperatures can cause the unit
to malfunction.
iSTAR contains precision electronic circuitry. Never attempt to disassemble the camera yourself.
Use a blower to blow away dust on the lens and touch screen. Do not use cleaners that contain organic solvents to
clean the camera’s body or lens. Do not breathe on the lens’s to clean them.
If the unit is suddenly brought in from the cold into a warm room, condensation may form on the lenses and internal
parts. To prevent condensation, first put the camera in a sealed plastic bag and let it adjust to the warmer temperature
before taking it out of the bag.
If condensation forms on the camera, do not use the camera. This is to avoid damaging the camera. If this occurs,
remove the SD card and battery from the camera, and wait until the condensation has evaporated before using the
camera.
If the camera will not be used for an extended period, remove the battery and store the camera in a cool, dry, wellventilated location.
LCD Panel and LCD Monitor
-­‐
-­‐
Although the LCD monitor is manufactured with very high precision technology with over 99.99% active pixels, there
might be a few dead pixels among the remaining 0.01% or less pixels. Dead pixels displaying only black or red, etc.,
are not a malfunction. They do not affect the images recorded.
At low temperatures, the liquid crystal display response may be slower to respond. And at high temperatures, the
display may blacken. In either case, the display will return to normal at room temperature.
USB Ports
-­‐
-­‐
The large USB port is to allow external storage to be connected. At present, only USB memory sticks up to 16GB are
supported. Do not connected an external hard disk drive as it may cause damage to iSTAR.
The small USB port allows iSTAR to control other external devices supported by iSTAR.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 6
iSTAR overview
Equipment
iSTAR is shipped with the following equipment:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Carry case
AC power cable supply unit with cable
PowerBlock battery
SD memory card and memory card case
USB memory stick
Lens cleaning cloth
iSTAR quick start manual
Warranty card
If you have purchased iSTAR for RGB overlay for LiDAR
scanning, your iSTAR will ship with the required adaptor
spacer rods.
Recommended optional equipment
•
•
•
Tripod
Quick Release for convenient mounting of iSTAR
Spare battery
iSTAR Dimensions and Weight
Height: 110mm x Width: 104mm
Weight: Approximately 1.4kg
Power
12v mains power adapter, 2.1mm jack
Rechargeable battery. Lithium ion 7.4v 4400mAh
The battery in iSTAR lasts for around 6 hours during normal activity.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 7
Nomenclature
Side port view
Lens
WiFI signal
vent
Hand grips
Reset button
SD Card slot
12vDC in
Mini USB B
Ethernet
HDMI out
Underside view
USB port
Top view
LCD touchscreen
Serial number
Safety
strap pin
1/4” thread
tripod mount
Quick release
plate pin holes
Grip area
Slide to open
x
GPS aerial
Battery cover
Battery cover screw
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 8
Getting started
Installing the battery
For safety reasons, the battery is shipped with a very low charge and will need to be fully charged prior to using the
camera.
Before installing the battery, please read the battery safety operating instruction first
1.
2.
3.
4.
Place the camera with the touch screen facedown on a flat solid surface and unscrew the battery cover and slide
open.
Connect the battery to the connector within the camera and insert the battery so that the wires are at the top.
Slide the battery cover on, taking care not to trap the wires.
Screw the battery cover down.
Charging the battery
1.
2.
3.
To charge the battery, connect the DC power supply to the camera and switch on at the mains plug socket.
When the power cable is attached, an audible “beep” will be heard.
After a short time of charging the battery icon will display.
The battery will charge whether the camera is on or off. The camera can be switched on and used whilst the battery is
charging.
Checking the battery level
The battery level will be indicated at one of seven levels.
No battery or No Charge
50% battery charge
Low battery charge
75% battery charge
Minimum battery power
100% battery charge
25% battery charge
When the camera is powered from the mains, a red battery icon will flash on screen to indicate that the battery level is low
and is charging.
Turning on the camera
1. Ensure that the power adaptor is attached to
the camera or the battery is installed.
2. Position the camera so that the NCTech logo
is pointing towards you.
3. To start the camera, tap the four corners of the
touch screen in order from 1 to 4. An audible
beep will be heard.
4. The iSTAR logo will appear on screen for
approximately 15 seconds whilst the camera
boots up.
The iSTAR menu screen will appear and the
camera is now ready for operation.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 9
Turning off the camera
To turn off the camera, touch the power icon
and return to the start screen, tap the X button.
. You will then be asked to confirm by tapping the tick box. To cancel
Main menu
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 10
Image capture
Capturing an image
From the Start Menu, press the
icon to navigate to the Capture/View Screen.
You can capture a panoramic image via two methods: Delay Capture; or in Walk
Around Mode.
Capture distance
The optimal capturing distance from iSTAR is from 1.5 metres to infinity. You can
capture images closer than 1.5 metres, however, this may result in parallax errors
where objects are cropped or may have ghosting.
Delay capture
To capture an image using the capture delay timer, press the
icon. This will
start the delay capture countdown allowing you to remove yourself from the scene
and out of the image. (The delay time can be changed in the settings menu.)
During the countdown there is an audible tone and the live panoramic view from
the camera will be shown onscreen.
Walk Around Mode
Capturing in “Walk Around Mode” allows you to capture an image in two steps.
This allows you to “walk around” the camera to avoid being in the image.
1. To capture in this mode, press the
icon and follow the onscreen instructions.
2. Tap one arrow, then stand away at that
corner of iSTAR. Within 5 seconds you will
capture half the panorama. Press abort to
return to the “Capture” screen.
3. Follow the on screen instructions and
position yourself on the other side of the
camera to capture the other half of the
panorama.
Once the panorama has been captured, iSTAR will begin to process the image/s
and save them to the SD Card or USB stick. Whilst processing, it is safe to move
the camera to the next location or to remove it from a tripod or monopod.
IMPORTANT: whilst processing please do not switch off the camera, remove the
battery, or power supply as this will result in your images being lost.
The processing percentage time will be displayed on screen. Once this is
complete, the screen will automatically display the “Image Review” screen. (For
information, see Image Review).
Capture Time
Assuming you are capturing a single exposure panorama in a reasonably well
lit environment, the time to capture is approximately 4 seconds. Once the
panorama has been captured, iSTAR then processes the 4 source images and
saves to the SD card or USB stick, whichever is being used. The time to save will
depend on where you are saving the file, for example if it's to the internal SD card
then processing time will be around 30-60 seconds.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 11
Live View Mode
Live View Mode provides a live immersive view of the scene from the camera.
Press the
icon and use your finger to rotate the image. Pressing the back
arrow at the top left corner of the screen will return you to the “Capture/View”
screen. The “Live View” is not a stitched image; the images have been blended
together.
Image review
View an image that has been captured and saved on the SD card or USB stick.
From the start menu, press the icon
to navigate to the “Image Review”
screen. The image number is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
The forward and back arrows can be used to cycle through the images that are
saved. To view an image, press the
button. This will display an immersive
view of the image. Use your finger to manoeuvre the image. Pressing the back
arrow in the top left corner of the screen will return you to the “Image Review”
screen.
To view meta data from the image, press the
To delete the image, press the
tapping the tick box.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
icon.
icon. You will then be asked to confirm by
PAGE: 12
Settings
From the start menu, press the icon
screen.
to navigate to the “Image Review”
Network settings
From the Settings menu, press the icon
Settings” screen.
to navigate to the “Network
Ethernet IP Settings
From the Settings Menu, press the icon
Settings” screen.
to navigate to the “Network
1. To network iSTAR with an Ethernet cable,
make sure the cable is connected.
2. If connected to a DHCP enabled router the
Automatic IP should be enabled in iSTAR to
obtain its network settings.
3. To use manual network settings, touch the
“Automatic IP” button to toggle between
Automatic and Manual settings.
WiFi Settings
From the Settings Menu, press the icon
screen.
to navigate to the “WiFi Settings”
1. To enable WiFi on iSTAR, press the “WiFi
enabled” tick to toggle between ON or OFF.
2. Press the SSID button to locate a WiFi
network.
3. Once selected, press the Password button
to display the keypad and enter the WiFi
password.
4. Press OK to save the password and return
to Wifi settings.
WiFi IP Settings
Press the “Automatic IP” button to switch on
automatic IP.
To enter manually, un-tick the button if it is
ticked and enter the settings by clicking on
the IP, Netmask, and Router buttons.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 13
Capture Settings
From the main Capture Settings menu, press the icon
“Capture Settings” screen.
to navigate to the
Capture settings:
Exposure:
Tap the Exposure button to change the
number of exposures you want to capture.
(Options: 1 to 9 exposures)
Countdown timer:
Tap the Countdown timer button to select the
capture delay time. (Options: 5, 10, 30
seconds, 1, 5, minutes)
Capture size
The default panorama is 10,000 x 5,000
pixels which equates to 50 megapixels.
Tap the Capture size button to change the
output size of the panoramic image. (Options:
Full: 10,000 x 5,000 pixels, half, and quarter)
Image settings
From the main Capture Settings menu, press the
“Storage Settings” screen.
icon to navigate to the
ISO
By default the ISO is fixed to 400. Tap the
ISO button to change this. (Options 125 to
3,630). It is recommended that the ISO
setting remains at ISO 400.
Exposure
By default the Exposure setting is set to Auto.
This is the recommended setting. To set the
Exposure manually, tap the Exposure button.
This will display the manual settings.
Colour balance levels
By default the colour balance is set to Red:
100%, Green: 100%, and Blue:100%. Tap
the colour buttons to change the percentage
settings.
Storage settings
From the main Capture Settings menu, press the
“Storage Settings” screen.
icon to navigate to the
By default the output format is set to JPG.
This can be changed to PNG format. Tap the
Format button to change the setting.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 14
Display Settings
From the Settings Menu, press the
screen.
icon to navigate to the “Display Settings”
Backlight timeout:
To change the timeout delay of the LCD screen, touch the time button and select
the desired time. (Options: Never, 5, 10, 30 seconds, 1, or 5 minutes). To confirm
and save your selection, press the
icon at the top left of the screen.
Power off:
To change the timeout delay in which the unit will power down, touch the time
button and select the desired time. The unit will power down and will require the 4
corner touch sequence to power up again. (Options: 5, 15, or 30 minutes). To
confirm and save your selection, press the
icon at the top left of the screen.
General Settings
From the Settings Menu, press the
screen.
icon to navigate to the “General Settings”
GPS, Audio and Tilt compensation:
To enable or disable the GPS, Tilt or Audio within the camera, simply touch each
option to toggle between their settings.
Format SD Card
Press this button to format your SD Card. You will be required to confirm that you
wish to format the card.
IMPORTANT: Formatting the SD Card will erase all information from the
card. Please ensure that you have copied or have a back up of all image data
that you wish to keep.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 15
Trouble shooting
Reset button
Should you experience problems with the camera, use the reset button to shutdown the unit.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Locate the reset button on the rear of the camera behind the rubber port
panel.
Use a pointed object and press the small reset button through the hole until
you hear a long audible beep.
On hearing the beep, release the button.
nd
You will hear a 2 audible beep and the iSTAR logo will flash on screen to
confirm the shutdown has been successful.
Start up the camera by tapping the four corners of the touch screen
If problems persist, disconnect the power cable (if connected) and disconnect and
then reconnect the battery.
Support Portal
For technical support, please visit our support portal: support.nctechimaging.com
On the portal you can access iSTAR FAQs, request technical support and much more besides.
NCTech Limited
20-22 Braid Road
Edinburgh, EH10 6AD
Scotland
United Kingdom
Registered in Scotland no. SC389309
Telephone: +44 131 466 1468
Twitter : http://twitter.com/#!/NC_Tech
Facebook : www.facebook.com/nctechltd
Website : www.nctechimaging.com
This users Manual is current as of January 2013. For information on the camera’s compatibility with any accessories or
third party hardware or software, contact your reseller or NCTech direct.
iSTAR USERS MANUAL V.1.1. JANUARY 2013. © 2013 NCTECH LIMITED.
PAGE: 16